Release the Raven

New book by local author

Local author, Janet Killeen, has published her second novel, ‘Release the Raven’ (canndu, June 2020) the sequel to ‘After the Flood’ (Mirador 2017), both of which are available on Amazon for kindle and in paperback.

Yorkshire-born Janet has made south-east London her home for the last fifty years. Now a retired teacher, she has published collections of short stories, poetry and children’s books, and her podcast, reading her own short stories, is also available.

The story of ‘Release the Raven’, begins after the disastrous floods of 2014 on the Somerset Levels. A life-changing discovery develops into an exploration of fanaticism, breakdown, healing and restoration. The past is brought into the present, revealing its power to give understanding and hope. The novel weaves together landscapes, lost identities, choice and the endurance of love.

Reviews from Amazon:

“A riveting story of life and death. Enormous empathy, insight and poetry”

“A story that looks terrorism in the face, and the courage required in renouncing it, as the central figure works his way towards redemption. No cosy ending either. Set against truly poetic evocations of the seasons, weather, the time of day and night, the tale moves around the country to end at the house on the Somerset levels”

“This is a book with heart and integrity. There are so many things I like about it, not least that in our own troubled times its deep sense of humanity is sorely needed.”